How will the US manage a large-scale robot army?

By Defense Systems Staff

May 31, 2012

A software provider has developed a system that it believes might one day address the Defense Department's need for a unified command and control system to coordinate the efforts of the U.S. military's rapidly expanding army of ground, sea and air robotic systems, reports Forbes.

DreamHammer has spent $5 million to create an operating system known as Ballista that can link and control any kind of proprietary unmanned system or robot, the story said.

Ballista, which can be launched from a tablet, interfaces with a robotic system or robot via an application programming interface gathering each robotic system's software codes, hardware protocols and data transmissions, which are translated and displayed by its central command system, the story said.

The company has been discussing the system with DOD officials for the several years.